“Isn’t he just,” my mother coos. She heads to the door. “I’ll see you down there. Don’t keep your father waiting.” She pulls her masquerade mask back on as she slips out of the room, her long, sequined dress trailing behind her.
Mary clicks the door closed behind her and comes to me, pulling me into a strong hug. Mary doesn’t do delicate or gentle. She’s not sensitive or quiet. Her hugs are strong, her words fierce, and her meaning always blatant.
I return the hug and she pats my back before pulling out of the hug and looking me dead in the eye. “How are we doing? And don’t give me any nonsense about being fine.” She air quotesfineand I smile.
“Nervous, I guess.” I shrug. “It is what it is though.”
She mutters something in French again. “It’s wrong is what it is. A beauty like you shouldn’t be married off to a man his age. It’s wrong.Dégoûtant!”
I smile and shrug again. “I’ll be fine. He’s a fine man. Strong, honorable. I’ll want for nothing, and it will make my father happy. It will keep the business going.” I turn back to my reflection and pick up the diamond hair slide before handing it to Mary. “Will you?”
She nods and takes it from me before sliding it into my hair. “Je trouve toujours ça dégoûtant!”
She pulls my hair over one shoulder, giving me a firm eye up and down before nodding in satisfaction. I pull on my mask and take one last look at myself, satisfied with what stares back at me.
“It’s time,” I say with dread.
The party is in full swing. My father, Frank Costello, has turned 65 and half of New York City has turned up to help him celebrate. A mountain of gifts carefully wrapped in expensive paper sits in the corner of the room, next to an enormous cake in the shape of the Empire State Building. A weird homage to the place my father signed his first dirty cop onto his payroll.
Everyone is either dancing or eating, talking or drinking. Everyone is celebrating. Everyone barring me. Despite what I know must happen, I’ve been avoiding my mother, father, and Alfonso Rosso for most of the night, choosing to spend my time in the library, away from the party and my duty. I guess you could say I’m just trying to enjoy my last night of freedom by myself.
I’m reading a book when I hear the door open and confident footsteps come in. The library is off-limits to party guests, hence why I came in here. I slip my mask back on and put the book down before standing up.
“Hello?” I say out loud when I don’t immediately see anyone. “Who’s there?” My voice is soft but I hold my nerve, despite the uncomfortable feeling crawling up my spine.
“Not the sociable type either?” A voice comes from behind one of the shelving units, and I step around, coming face to face with the speaker. He’s tall and dark, his deep brown eyes demanding my authority and threatening violence. Something is frightening about him, like a lit firework seconds away from exploding, and yet I find him both attractive and intriguing. “I find these things so pretentious, don’t you? What’s good about growing old? One year closer to death, I say.” He laughs and raises his glass in the air.
I frown. “It’s supposed to be a celebration of life.”
He barks out a laugh. “Life, death, it’s all the same. They’re intrinsically connected. Celebrating your life while getting closer to your death.” He scoffs and takes a sip of his drink.
His brown hair is swept back from his face, a slight curve near his ears like his hair is naturally unruly and he’s made a feeble attempt at taming it tonight. He looks down at the book I’d put down, raising an eyebrow.
“Little Women? Also pretentious.”
I look down at it and then back to him, perplexed by his boldness. I’m the princess of Frank Costello and no man normally dares talk to me, never mind mock my choice of books. I’d say as much, but he seems a little scary, even for one of my father’s friends.
“You should readDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It’s still pretentious but it’s worth the read for its darkness alone,” he says. “‘You must suffer me to go my own dark way,’” he continues with a sneer before finishing off his drink. “Woman like you, no doubt you’ve already read it, am I right?”
I don’t have time to reply as the door swings open wider and another man comes in, his broad shoulders filling the doorway.
“Sisco, where the fuck have you been?” He stops in his tracks when he sees me standing there. His features are stern, like a father about to give a lecture to his son, but he’s clearly younger than the other man named Sisco. “I need to steal my brother away for a moment, love. You should get back to the party.”
I frown. “I should, should I?” I smart, annoyed by the arrogance of these two men.
“Yes,” he replies with a hard edge, as if annoyed by my audacity to answer back. “There’s a glass of champagne with your name on it out there, I’m sure.”
He’s being condescending, just like all men.‘The silly little girl doesn’t know how to think for herself. Give her champagne and a pretty dress and she’ll be happy.’Anger flares in my chest, and it must show on my face too because he smirks, holding my gaze and daring me to voice my bitter thoughts.
“I was finished anyway,” the man named Sisco replies. He winks at me, the corner of his mouth pulling up in a slanted grin as he walks away.
I have the urge to order them both out of my home, but I know my father wouldn’t stand for it. This is his night. These are his guests. And I am merely a pawn to him. I don’t have any say, tonight or any other night.
“Until next time,” Sisco says as I glare at them both.
When they’ve both left, I look down at the book I was reading before picking it up and putting it back on the shelf. I move along the bookcase until I findDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydeand pull it down. A first edition that my father bought for me when I was barely twelve years old. It had cost him thousands, no doubt.He’s right, I have read it before, yet the words I read never sounded as dark and as menacing as the ones he just quoted, despite me knowing what happens in the book.
“Natalia?” Mary’s voice screeches from the hallway, and I sigh and put the book back. I guess it was time I spent some time with my future husband.
